US allegedly provides Syrian leadership with intelligence on ISIS threats

The US Department of Defense has neither confirmed nor denied reports that the US side provided intelligence to the new Syrian leadership regarding Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

"We do not discuss intelligence operations for security reasons," the official representative of the department responded to a request from TASS to clarify whether the information provided by The Washington Post was accurate. The newspaper, citing sources among officials, reports that "the US provided classified intelligence data regarding the threat from IS to the new Syrian government led by the leaders of the military group that Washington has long viewed as a terrorist organization."

According to the source of the newspaper, "in at least one case earlier this month, US intelligence helped to thwart IS plans to attack a place of worship near Damascus." The publication emphasizes that the transfer of information to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group "reflects growing U.S. concerns that ISIS could rebound at a time when Syria's new leaders are trying to consolidate control." The article notes that "the provision of intelligence is driven by a shared interest in preventing such a rebound and does not indicate full acceptance of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which remains on the list of terrorist organizations" in the United States. 

At the same time, one of the newspaper's sources noted that the American side is making "efforts to build relationships" with the new Syrian leadership. The article reports that the United States began sharing intelligence with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham representatives in December 2024. They did so directly, "and not through third parties."